Episode 95: Switch-Hitters Who Shouldn't Switch-Hit/What We Learned from The Book/Dan Haren vs. Edwin Jackson/The Yunel Escobar Trade and the Yankees
Date December 5, 2012 Summary Ben and Sam answer listener emails mostly (but not entirely) about things that happened on day two of the Winter Meetings. Topics * Switch hitters who bat significantly better from one side of the plate * The Book: Playing The Percentages In Baseball by Tom Tango, Mitchell Lichtman, and Andrew Dolphin * Dan Haren vs. Edwin Jackson * A trade involving Yunel Escobar and how it relates to the third base situation for the New York Yankees. Intro Slot Machine Sound Clip Banter * Sam has recently been admitted to the Baseball Writers of America (BBWA). Ben discusses with him the benefits of this newly achieved status. Email Questions * Mike: "At what point should a switch hitter stop being a switch hitter? When there's a large discrepancy between their performance, at what point is it better to scrap the platoon advantage and hit from the favorable side?" * Joel: "What does the gap in OPS or OPS+ need to be between their (unintelligible) AB LH and RH hitter and for how long etc.?" * Scott: "What are some key takeaways that you and other Prospectus writers have learned from (The Book) and why do so many..."(rest of the question blocked on Sam's screen). * Corey: "As a Phillie fan I've been paying close attention to what other teams in the division are doing. This morning Dan Haren signed with the Nationals and many of my Phillie faithful friends have been complaining that Amaro hasn't made any moves yet, while division rivals have added some big names. This got me thinking. Dan Haren is basically replacing Edwin Jackson in their rotation. Years ago this would be a pretty substantial upgrade, but at this point, is it a lateral move? Haren has injury problems and hasn't been the same pitcher lately. I'm no Edwin Jackson fan, but I think he would be cheaper and probably more reliable than Haren next year. Am I wrong in that thinking?" * Aaron: "Should the Yankees pursue Yunel Escobar with A-Rod expected to miss many games? Any other realistic trades (or) free agents?" Notes * Ben is in Nashville for the Winter Meetings. * Sam thought that Shane Victorino inspired the switch hitting email question. * The acronym SWINO (Switch Hitter in Name Only) is explained. * Scott asked that his question be read in the form of a birthday gift as his birthday was on or around this date. * Ben had recommended The Book to Scott on Twitter. * One of Ben's key takeaways from The Book is how long it takes for platoon splits to manifest themselves. * Batting order and matchups are also mentioned as topics of discussion found in The Book. * The Book's merits are endorsed by Ben and Sam. * In December of 2012, the Washington Nationals signed Dan Haren to a one-year, $13MM deal. * Sam decides he would rather have Edwin Jackson than Dan Haren. * Yunel Escobar had been recently traded from the Marlins to the Rays. Links * Effectively Wild Episode 95: Switch-Hitters Who Shouldn't Switch-Hit/What We Learned from The Book/Dan Haren vs. Edwin Jackson/The Yunel Escobar Trade and the Yankees * Checking the Numbers: SHINO-myte! by Eric Seidman is referenced during switch hitting discussion. * The Book: Playing The Percentages In Baseball by Tom Tango, Mitchell Lichtman, and Andrew Dolphin Category:Episodes Category:Email Episodes